The Girl With Two Buns. A NejiTen Fanfic

10

Whee! Hurray for the 10th chapter.👏 This book has hit 90 reads already, thank you guys for reading, voting and commenting.

This chapter is dedicated to @Mocy2004.

~ x ~

The palace was empty. Well not literally empty but to Neji there was a void that he could not pinpoint. Who was he fooling? He knew what the void was, Tenten. He could only hope that she would not leave him for good but could he trust in faith? Perhaps destiny did not allow for them to be together.

Opening his eyes without Tenten's call outside his door was a difficult feat, just like how difficult he found it to lift his washcloth during a bath. His hand trembled as though the sponge were heavy and dropped it when his hand gave way. Neji's eyelids grew heavy and his breathing slow and laboured.

Slowly and painfully, he managed a bath and stepped out of the private bathhouse to change into his clothes. Instead of the Royal garb, he ordered the maids to change him into his silken sleep garments. Neji walked to the message quarters despite every step feeling as like a mountain crumbling upon him and wrote a message for his courier pigeon to deliver.

Walking back to his chambers was painful, even more so because he had to pretend like nothing was wrong with him, but he made it and finally was able to rest. An announcement from the door awoke him and he permitted for the person to enter.

"Your Highness." The man greeted. Neji acknowledged him with a weak nod and allowed the man to do his job. After some examination and few pulse checks, the man shook his head solemnly and looked into the now grey eyes of his lord. "I am afraid it is only getting worse with time. I can only provide medicine to reduce the pain and fever..." He trailed off.

Neji sighed. "I know." He said knowingly. It was only a matter of time till his destiny caught up with him. He had been waiting for the day ever since and so did not care about anything or about anyone, he was a caged bird after all. When he met Tenten, not to lie to himself, he detested the woman as well as was leery of her. She was suspicious, not trustworthy and annoying. However, her boisterous and cheerful character got to him without him knowing about it.

The woman melted his cold heart and broke his barriers. He expressed himself more often and found out that he was a tease. He saw Tenten in a new light and found himself thinking about her and occasionally stealing glances at her. He found out that with her he was not so caged anymore. He was not caged by princely duties or tradition or etiquette, he was his own self around her.

When Tenten rejected him it felt life his heart shattered into pieces but he would however, not relent so easily. He was ready for any challenge and was sure he would overcome them.

"Taking two spoons of this elixir three times a day should suffice." The physician dropped a white bottle which was sealed with a wooden cork on the table and bowed before leaving.

Neji cast a weak glance at the elixir and back to the ceiling of his room. He hated being so weak as to rely on medicine. He released a sigh as his eyes closed. 'Tenten.'

~ x ~

"Farewell Tenten!"

Tenten winced for the neighbours that Lee's loud voice interrupted their sleep.